VH1 Divas: When Celine, Mariah, Aretha, Shania, Carole and Gloria teamed up for the ultimate concert

7 March 2023, 14:58

In 1998, the first of what would turn out to be a series of epic concerts was held, featuring some of the greatest female singers of all time.

Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Shania Twain, Gloria Estefan and Carole King joined forces for VH1 Divas, a special concert held at New York City's Beacon Theater.

VH1 Divas Live was created to support the music channel's Save The Music Foundation charity.

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It was a lineup that ranks among some of the greatest one-off concerts of all time. The show was produced by Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich, directed by Michael Simon and written by Martin Lewis.

Guest presenters appeared throughout the show, including Jennifer Aniston, Teri Hatcher, Sarah McLachlan, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sarah Jessica Parker and Susan Sarandon.

The show kicked off with Mariah Carey performing her songs 'My All' and 'Make it Happen', before Gloria Estefan appeared for a super megamix of her biggest hits.

Country was then represented when Shania Twain appeared on stage for a burst of 'Man I Feel Like a Woman' and 'You're Still the One', before the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin came on for 'A Rose is Still a Rose'.

Aretha and Mariah then teamed up for a stunning duet on 'Chain of Fools', before Aretha sang 'Here We Go Again'.

Aretha Franklin & Mariah Carey Perform 'Chain of Fools' at VH1 Divas | VH1

Celine Dion was next, performing several big songs including 'River Deep Mountain High' and 'My Heart Will Go On'. She was also joined by surprise guest Carole King for 'The Reason'.

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After Carole sang 'It's Too Late', all the divas then joined her for renditions of her iconic songs 'You've Got a Friend' and 'Natural Woman'.

Gloria, Mariah, Aretha, Celine & Shania - You Make Me Feel Like (A Natural Woman) (Divas Live 1998)

The show was a big success, with an album also selling millions around the world.

VH1 Divas then became an annual tradition for a few years, with performances from everyone including Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Cher, Elton John, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Faith Hill, Adele, and Mary Blige.

After a five-year hiatus, the series returned in 2009 with a younger revamp. After a dance music-focused 2012 edition, the show took another hiatus before being revived in 2016 with a Christmas theme.

Who's up for a 2022 edition featuring Celine Dion, Cher, Mariah Carey, Adele, Shania Twain, Carole King, Gloria Estefan, Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift, just to name a few?